A Completely Unbiased Review: Run Chase

I suppose, to be honest, this is less a review and more a sneaky preview of our upcoming launch, Run Chase.

But, for those of you who have come looking for a completely nonpartisan review: it's really good!

What's the game about?

Run Chase is a cricket game *sorry to anyone who thought it would be about running and/or chasing*.

We wanted to make a game which both captured the pace and energy of a T20 cricket match, and also left space for the strategic thinker to out-plan their opponent.

At its heart, Run Chase is a balance between chance and control, between the planned and the unplanned.

As the fielding side, you might arrange your fielders and try to exploit the weaknesses of the batsman - but the thrill of the game is in the unknown. When will the batsman slip up? When will they get overconfident? 

Similarly, as the batting side, you might play cautiously in unfavourable conditions, or hit for six when you're behind - but you'll never really know what the bowler's going to do next.

How does it work?

The game consists of 20 overs (or 10, if you're short on time!). Each ball, the batsman advances around the 'board' (consisting of 16 cards, arranged differently each game), with each space facilitating a variety of possible outcomes. Which outcomes the batsman will be able to achieve depend on how the bowler has opted to play - they may, for example, have taken care to avoid any chance of the batsman hitting for six, or they may have prioritised actively taking wickets.

If the batsman makes the hit, the fielding team gets the chance to react - if the fielders are well-placed, they might be able to cover the ground in time to stop the shot hitting the boundaries. If not, they can always shuffle around at the end of the over.

You keep score just like you do watching any live cricket match - with pen and paper. Hopefully you'll have these things somewhere in the house!

I've never played cricket before - will I still like the game?

Yes!

The game is designed to be accessible, but also interesting for the enthusiast.

Not clear on what all the funny words mean? Can't tell your Silly Point from your Cow Corner? Not a problem! They're not a necessary feature of the game - they're there to add a bit of colour.